The Secret Life of Blythe

36. Leo

Our life settles in to a nice routine after our trip to New York to see Aurora.  Today is our wedding anniversary and for the first time since we had the kids, we sit alone in our favourite restaurant.  I'm nervous, what I'm about to do is something I've been thinking about for a while now. 
"How would you feel about renewing our wedding vows?" I ask.
Blythe nearly chokes on her chicken as she stares back at me. 
"You're serious?"
"Never been more" I answer with a sigh.
I suck back the emotion spilling out of me. 
"There's so many reasons Blythe, one because I pissed all over our original vows and two because I want you to know, how serious I am now about us and our family" I say.
"I can't begin to explain how much I love you all, if fucking kills me every time I let any of my past filter in to my mind"
"I just want to say my vows to you again, I want to stare in to your eyes and for you to know I mean every fucking work of it this time" my lip does a little tremble as my emotions get the best of me, like usual, but Blythe takes my hand from across the table and smiles.
"What did you have in mind?" She asks.
"Just us and the kids, on the beach, maybe?"
"I don't need anyone else other than you guys to know that I'll always give everything I have to this family"
"Ok, your on, husband, I'll even let you plan it" she winks.
I take the small velvet box out of my pocket and hand it to her as she smiles in surprise.  She puts her hand on her heart when she sees what it is.  A locket with a picture of our family inside.  It's an antique and it looks real pretty on her as she asks me to fasten it up.
"We'll take another picture when the twins arrive" I wink as she leans over to kiss me.
"You're a good man Leo Romano, despite everything I don't regret taking in a homeless man all those years ago"  she says as we chuckle sadly. 

On her favourite beach a couple of weeks later, with Luca dressed in a little shirt and dickie bow and Bella in a pretty dress, we renew our vows.  It was as perfect as I planned it to be.  The kids were impeccably well behaved and I cried like I usually do when it comes to my family, and when I said my vows to her, I knew she could tell I meant every single word of it, and the following day I flew us all out to Honolulu for our second honeymoon.  We laughed and made beautiful memories to add to all our others.  The holiday went too quickly but we'll have plenty more over the years to come.

Before we knew where the time had gone Nico Romano and Gabriele Romano came in to the world.  Identical as expected and not an ounce of their mother in them.  No, these little fuckers are all me, exact replicas or carbon copies as we often get told.  I should have known from that alone they would be trouble.  The fact that Nico pisses on me on the daily should be enough.  I'm sure a three month old can't smirk but my boy definitely looks like he does.  Although identical Gabe isn't nearly as highly strung yet.  They let me fuss around them and keep them alive and I get no gratification from these two, once I've changed their nappy, they want their mother for cuddles.  My wife thinks it's hilarious and all I want to do is hold them but they won't give me the time of day.  I guess now I know how she felt with our other two angels.  Luca looks at the twins sceptically, just the same as Bella does.  It's like they know they're gonna be a pain in the arse.  Blythe's recovered really well from her third operation.  The doctor didn't think that she would be able to have another c section again.  Blythe didn't seem overly worried, maybe my four was always what we were supposed to have after all, or the next one she'll have to give birth to vaginally, which terries the living daylights out of her. 

My wife's relationship with her sister is coming on leaps and bounds.  She'll happily yap away with Blythe now.  They're doing therapy together and it all seems to be going well.  Of course Blythe keeps a close eye on Mattia.  The moment he steps out of line I'll be on a plane to collect her.  I know that much already.  There's nothing I'd like more than for Mattia to marry her sister but I can't put him first anymore, I won't ever put him or anyone before my family again.  One day he'll understand if they get to our stage in life. 

All Blythe's dreams are slowly coming together.  She continues to search for clues as to her parents where about's, she'll never stop looking for them.

As for me, I'll be here every step of the way, loving them all fiercely, protecting them with my strength and thanking the sky up above for blessing me with a beautiful crazy family.